


The bet

by Xenobia



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: F/M, Het, Romance, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-18
Updated: 2013-01-18
Packaged: 2017-11-26 00:22:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/644517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xenobia/pseuds/Xenobia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While under orders to watch over Zack Fair during his extended "vacation" at Costa Del Sol, Cissnei gets an opportunity she can't easily pass up.  Written as a birthday gift for my friend JdeeCan.  Het, Romance, Humor.  Mature restrictions apply due to sexual content.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The bet

"The bet"

A Zack/Cissnei FF7 ficlet

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* * *

*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all characters therein are the property of Square-Enix, and I make no profit from the writing of this fanfiction.  It is for entertainment purposes only.

 

**_Author's note: Once upon a time, Xenobia said she would write a het fanfic for her friend Jdee for Christmas.  Unfortunately, Xenobia was thwarted by the evil UnMuse—the dark force that blocks creativity and kidnaps muses for its own twisted delight, leaving the author to flail in uninspired desperation.  But don’t fret, gentle viewers; this sad tale has a happy ending.  The good fairy of Musedom eventually found and rescued Xenobia's poor, kidnapped muse, returning it safely to her.  As a result, Xenobia was finally able to finish the Zack/Cissnei ficlet she promised her friend, and there was celebration across the land of Xen's tangled imagination.  Happy birthday, Jdee! I'm sorry this didn't make it to you for Christmas!_ **

~**********************************~

* * *

 

Cissnei barely heard her Turk associate's words as she watched Zack Fair do squats in a pair of swimming trunks.  He'd gained a tan during his company-arranged vacation and little beads of sweat sparkled on his bronzed skin.  The squatting exercise seemed to be a ritual for him.  Each morning and every evening, she found him doing them on the beach.  She wondered what inner torment he must be feeling, despite his easy-going smiles and silly jokes.  Zack was no fool, despite his sweet nature.  He knew he was being watched.

 

"Gaia to Cissnei," called the voice on the other end of the phone.  "I just asked you a question."

 

The brunette Turk gave her attention back to her associate on the phone.  "Sorry Elena...what was that?"  Zack was finished with his squats and he seemed to be standing in silent meditation—possibly thinking about his fallen mentor.

 

"Hmph.  You're really into him, aren't you?"

 

Cissnei smirked.  "They told me to watch him, remember?"

 

"I'll bet you're enjoying every second of it, too."  Elena's voice sounded teasingly smug.

 

Cissnei shrugged, her light brown eyes traveling over Zack's broad shoulders, toned back and firm butt.  "I can't complain about the view." 

 

"So...what does he wear?"

 

Cissnei wrinkled her nose in perplexity.  "Um...clothes?"

 

Elena snorted.  "I meant _under_ them.  Boxers or briefs?  I'll bet he wears those boxer-briefs…you know, a combination of both."

 

"Oh, that."  Cissnei nibbled her lower lip and watched the breeze stir Zack's dark, spiked hair.  "What makes you think _I_ know?"

 

"Because you've had the opportunity to find out," insisted the blonde.  "Come on...give it up."

 

"I don't know," sighed Cissnei.  "Believe it or not, I'm just here to do my job.  Why do you care what kind of underwear he prefers, anyway?"

 

"Calm down," chuckled Elena.  "All right, I'll confess: some of us have a little wager going on and you're in a position to help me win it."

 

Cissnei's frown returned.  "People are betting on what kind of underwear Zack wears?"

 

"It's a subject of interest to a lot of us, actually."

 

A giggle tried to surface and Cissnei stomped it down ruthlessly.  "I think we have better things to do with our time than talk about other people's undies, don't you?"

 

 There was a shrug in Elena's voice.  "Most of the time, sure.  There's this little thing called lunch breaks that draw discussion, though."

 

Cissnei sighed and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear that was whipping around in the breeze.  "I'm _not_ involved with him, and I'm _not_ going to sneak into his hotel room to dig through his clothes.  You're just going to have to call off the wager."

 

"I can't," Insisted Elena, "and what kind of Turk _are_ you?  Gathering intel is part of the job, so don't pretend like you have a moral objection."

 

"I didn't say...ugh...just forget it.  The bottom line is; I'm not invading Zack's privacy any further than my assignment requires.  Digging through his knickers isn't part of the job, so deal with that."

 

"'Knickers'?" Elena snickered and then sighed.  "Fine, then.  Just let it be known that you've cost me a lot of gil.  Um...if you _do_ happen to get with him while you're—"

 

"I'm _not_ getting with him," interrupted Cissnei, on the verge of losing her temper.  "He likes that Ancient girl that Tseng has been watching, okay?  Drop it."

 

Zack was approaching her and Cissnei felt the temperature rise warningly in her cheeks, all too aware of the enhanced senses of Soldiers.  "I've got to let you go now, Elena.  I'll see you when I return to HQ."

 

"But—"

 

Cissnei ended the call without waiting to hear her coworker's objection.  She put the phone in the little purse she kept slung around her shoulder and she smiled at Zack benignly.  He was usually quick to return any friendly smiles she gave him, but he had an uncommonly brooding expression on his handsome face, today. 

 

"I'm being put out to pasture, aren't I?" 

 

 Cissnei didn't have to stage her confused frown.  "What?"  She leaned over the stone half-wall of the modular stairs leading down to the beach and she peered at him curiously.

 

Zack remained at the base of the stairs, looking up at her with his arms crossed over his bare chest.  "They're going to put me into early retirement, right?  After what happened, they're afraid I might lose it like Angeal and they're easing me out of the program.  That's it, isn't it?  That's why you're watching me."

 

Cissnei was on the verge of telling Zack that if the company were truly looking to "retire" him, they would be more likely to assassinate him than send him to a tropical paradise for some R&R.  He didn't know ShinRa the way she did, however, and she was forbidden from revealing the darker secrets of the organization.

 

"You've been through a lot," she excused gently.  The sympathy in her gaze wasn't a put-on for his benefit.  "They aren't 'putting you out to pasture', they're giving you some time off.  You've earned it."

 

He smirked and climbed the stairs to stand beside her.  He leaned over the stonework next to her and looked out at the ocean, narrowing his eyes against he sunlight.  "You didn't deny the part about watching me."

 

Cissnei nibbled her lip and shrugged, looking at him sidelong.  "Maybe I am and maybe I'm not.  If I were, I couldn't tell you.  I have to follow orders just like you, Zack."

 

He grunted softly and looked at her with those piercing, blue-violet eyes of his.  The salty breeze blew a lock of ebony hair across his face and she had to fight the urge to stroke it back into place.  Shiva, he was pretty.

 

"I keep forgetting you're a Turk," Zack admitted in a low murmur, distracting her from her smitten thoughts.  "You're always so soft-spoken and sweet.  Is that all an act, or is it a hint of the real you, under the suit?"

 

 She watched him warily, respecting his powers of observation even though he acted like a loveable doofus half the time.  Angeal Hewley's demise had changed Zack...hardened him a little.  While the growth of character was probably a good thing, Cissnei couldn't help but mourn the loss of his innocence. 

 

"I'm not wearing a suit, today."  Cissnei glanced down at her yellow-clad body and gave him a soft, dimpled smile.  "So you can pretend I'm not a Turk."

 

He looked her up and down in an appraising manner that made her want to fiddle self-consciously.  She stood her ground and waited for his conclusion, challenging him with her eyes.  The engaging smile that grew on Zack's lips was far too sexy for his own good.  Cissnei covertly entertained naughty fantasies about him as she regarded him impassively—no doubt appearing more confident than she actually felt.

 

"Yellow's your color," Zack finally said in reference to the two-piece bathing suit she wore.  "That's a cute getup you're wearing.  It's nice to see you out of that Turk suit, Cissnei."

 

She struggled to contain her smile.  "That's sweet of you to say, Zack."

 

"I mean it," he said sincerely, letting his gaze wander over her again.  He looked away and cleared his throat, nodding.  "It's a good look for you.  Kudos.  I...uh, better go have a shower.  Because I've been sweating...and stuff."

 

His shift into the old, less mature Zack she'd met that night in Sector 8 was only slightly less surprising to her than the suspicious, subtle flush she thought she saw on his face before he excused himself and jogged up the stairs.  Just before he turned, Cissnei noticed something that made her eyebrows achieve lift-off.  Maybe it was just wishful thinking on her part, or maybe it was due to Elena's babbling about men's underwear, but she could have sworn she saw the crotch of Zack's swimming trunks poking out a little.  She didn't get the chance to have a better look.  He was up the stairs and out of sight before she could even begin to formulate an excuse to follow him.

 

Cissnei pondered the situation and she argued with herself.  Boys got hard-ons.  That was just a normal part of being male and it didn't always mean a guy was "into" someone.  He could find her attractive without actually having an interest in getting intimately involved with her.  She knew this, and yet some part of her dared to entertain the possibility that _maybe_ Zack genuinely liked her.

 

"It's not like he hasn't been surrounded by women in string bikinis," she mused to herself, her eyes scanning the beach again.  Many women with greater endowments than hers wore far skimpier bathing suits, up and down the shoreline.  Zack spoke to them all the time in passing, but he'd never suffered a "boner moment" like he had a moment ago with Cissnei.

 

She started to smile.  "Maybe you _do_ like me a little," she sighed.  The temptation to help Elena win her wager became unreasonably strong and Cissnei groaned.

 

There was a reason Tseng trusted her with this assignment, and it wasn't because he expected her to seduce Zack Fair.  Still, he _had_ told her to try and distract the Soldier with kindness, if he seemed to slip into depression.  Tseng and Veld both felt that she was best suited to watch over Zack during his sabbatical, because he seemed to like her.  The fact that he seemed to like _all_ women—and possibly even some men—didn't seem to occur to either of them.

 

Zack was hurting and vulnerable, no matter how easy-going he tried to appear.  The part of Cissnei that wasn't a Turk—the part she kept safely locked within a box in her heart—couldn't take advantage of that over a wager.  Offering an exchange of comfort was another matter. 

 

~*****************************************~

* * *

 

"Not cool, Zack.  Perving on the cute Turk girl is _not_ cool."  He berated himself as he punished his body with the spray of cold water.  His erection steadily deflated under the assault and he breathed a sigh of relief.

 

"Angeal would lecture me three ways from Sunday, if he knew." 

 

Zack shivered and ignored the protesting goose bumps that rose on his skin as he scrubbed vigorously with the sea sponge.  He grimaced and squinted as some of the shampoo suds got into his left eye.  His muttered curses echoed off the tiled surfaces surrounding him as he stuck his face under the spray of water.  Once he corrected the problem, he turned around and tilted his head back to rinse out his hair.  He was just finishing up with that and preparing to step out of the shower when he heard the sound of knocking on his front door. 

 

"Hold up,' Zack called, "I'm just getting out of the shower!"

 

Doubtless, his visitor was Tseng.  The man came by to check on him every night, cordially asking if he needed anything.  Zack had to hand it to the Turks; they might be spying on him, but they knew how to pamper a guy.

 

"Be there in a minute," he called again as he hastily towel-dried his hair and body.  He quickly ran a comb through his hair to give it some semblance of taming before putting his bathrobe on.  He left the little bathroom and traipsed across the main room to answer the door. 

 

"Tseng, I keep telling you, I don't need—"

 

Cissnei stood before him when he yanked the door open.  Zack's words froze in his mouth and he stared down at the deceptively petite young woman, bearing a dumb expression on his face.  She was still wearing that cute yellow bathing suit.  It was quite modest for a two-piece, but it was flattering on her and it displayed all the soft curves her suit normally hid from view. 

 

"—anything.  Uh, hi Cissnei.  I thought you were your boss.  I guess he sent you to check on me tonight, eh?"

 

"Tseng didn't send me," she assured him.  "I came by of my own accord.  I wanted to..."  She trailed off and looked to the left.

 

Zack leaned out the doorway a little and he smirked to see Tseng approaching down the hallway.  "No, I don't need anything," he called to the Wutaian.  "Just like last night and the night before."

 

Tseng stopped, regarded the two of them with mild interest and nodded.  "I see I've interrupted.  Have a pleasant evening."

 

Zack felt a little uncomfortable at the glance Tseng gave him.  "Hey, we're just talking."

 

"What Cissnei does on her own time is not my concern," answered Tseng over his shoulder as he walked away, "and that goes for you too, Zack."

 

Zack watched him go until he turned around the corner and went out of sight.  He scratched his damp hair self-consciously and gave Cissnei a weak grin.  Maybe it was his guilty conscience making him hear an implication in Tseng's words. 

 

"So, you were saying?"

 

"I thought we could talk," Cissnei finished, smiling softly at him in that way that made her cheeks dimple endearingly.  "Inside...if you want."

 

Zack wondered if that was a good idea, considering she was the reason he'd chosen not to use hot water in his shower.  Still in the process of learning to control impulses, he stood aside and made an inviting gesture.  Cissnei stepped through the doorway and looked around at the room as Zack shut and locked the door behind her.  He felt a moment of embarrassment when he realized he had stuff lying around everywhere.  His half-finished box of noodles sat on the little table in the corner, his clothes for tomorrow were strewn carelessly over the bed and there were several empty soda cans and water bottles sitting around on various surfaces.

 

"Uh...I usually let the maid get all that when I go out for the day," excused Zack self-consciously.  "I'm really not this much of a slob.  Honest."

 

Cissnei went to the bed and she sat down next to his clothes.  "I don't mind.  My roommate is much messier than this.  I'm always cleaning up after her."

 

He tried to ignore the fact that she'd sat on the bed instead of a chair.  It didn't mean anything...the bed was probably more comfortable than the little chairs around the dining table.  "You have a roommate?  Like, in one of the Headquarters suites or somewhere else?"

 

"Like in an apartment," answered Cissnei, "a few blocks from Headquarters.  I prefer having my own place to live, instead of using one of the company suites—even if I do need a roommate to make bills."

 

Zack nodded.  "Got it.  I'm still living in the SOLDIER barracks, but I've got my own private quarters, now.  Maybe I could look into getting my own place somewhere else in town, after I get back."

 

"Why would you want to do that?"  She crossed her legs delicately and leaned back on her hands, inadvertently striking an attractive pose.

 

Zack's mind temporarily went blank and he looked away hastily, staring at the pattern on the closed window curtains to avoid leering at her. 

 

"I guess I just want a change in scenery," he theorized.  "Every day I'm there is a reminder of what happened with Angeal.  I used to be so excited about living in the barracks, because I could train whenever I wanted and the guy I admired most in the world was close by to give me any advise I needed.  It's not the same anymore."

 

"Of course it isn't," she said in a sympathetic tone.  "If you want, I could help you go apartment hunting when they call you back to Midgar.  You won't be able to afford anything on the upper plate on your wages alone, but I can help you find something affordable without having to live in the slums."

 

He looked at her again and he grinned.  "You'd do that?"

 

She shrugged.  "Sure, why not?  Business aside, I like you.  I wouldn't want to find out you're living in a hole somewhere, Zack."

 

Looking at the sincere expression on her pretty face and the warmth in her brown eyes, Zack was driven to get closer to her.  He approached the bed and he sat down next to her on it.  "That's really decent of you, helping out a country boy like me.  I still don't know which end is up, when it comes to city life."  He chuckled at himself, and he shook his head.  "I just go where they tell me to go.  Maybe I'll never totally 'get it'."

 

Cissnei smiled at him and she laid a gentle hand over his nearest, robe-covered knee.  "That's what you have people like me for, Zack.  You're a nice guy, and I like that you haven't been too hardened by life in the city.  You've held onto an optimism most of us have lost over time.  You're not jaded.  That's a _good_ thing."

 

He glanced down at the delicate, feminine hand resting on his knee, and then he gazed into her eyes.  His instincts started taking over, and the natural flirt in him rose to the surface.  "You think so?  I get the feeling the other Turks might not find naivety too attractive."

 

"I wouldn't say you're 'naive', exactly."  Her gaze softened further and her bow-shaped lips parted.  "You're just not letting the ugly realities of the city turn you into a jerk.  I hope that doesn't change."

 

"Maybe you can be on 'jerk alert' for me, then."  He combed his fingers through her soft, auburn hair slowly.  "You know, warn me when I start crossing the line and put me back in my place."

 

She giggled, her gaze still holding his.  She rubbed his knee and she leaned closer to him.  "I don't think you _need_ someone to be on jerk patrol for you, but okay."

 

That soft, delicate giggle did it for Zack.  Such a sweet, innocent sound from a pretty girl _always_ had an effect on him, and he reasoned with himself that there was no harm in one little kiss.  He closed the narrow distance between their mouths and he touched his lips to hers.  He was gentle at first, and cautious.  Cissnei was still a Turk and despite his self-depreciating comments earlier, Zack wasn't quite the fool he often played.  When her mouth softened against his and began to reciprocate his kiss, he deepened it and put more pressure behind it.  She tasted like mangos to him, and he guessed she must have had herself a tropical smoothie before coming to see him.  He gently traced the curve of her lips with his tongue until they parted, and then he delved in.

 

~********************************~

* * *

 

It occurred to Cissnei that she might get the opportunity to find out what kind of underwear Zack preferred, after all.  In fact, she was sitting right next to it.  That little detail occurred to her, even as Zack's tongue stroked against hers seductively.  He was a good kisser—no, make that a _very_ good kisser.  She forgot all about the underwear, the propriety of kissing her assignment this way and what her boss would do if he found out about it.  Tseng had said that what she did on her own time was none of his business, after all.  She was off the clock until morning, so what was wrong with getting a little enjoyment out of the moment?

 

She slipped her hand further up his leg as she kissed him back, and she shut out the rest of the world as she savored the moment.  She hadn't been kissed like this by a man for months.  Her last attempt at dating hadn't gone so well, thanks to her work schedule and the fact that they guy was starting to get too nosey about her career.  Zack already knew what she was—at least enough to understand she couldn't talk about some aspects of her job.  He didn't judge, and he wouldn't try to poke around for details behind her back.

 

The kissing intensified as they both fell deeper into it, and inhibitions began to fall away.  Zack slipped his fingers out of her hair and he caressed her bare shoulder and arm, while putting his other arm around her to draw her closer.  The bed creaked slightly as she shifted to comply, just as eager to be closer to him as he was to initiate it.  Her hand found the part in his robe's material and she burrowed into it, touching the bare, toned thigh beneath.  His tongue thrust more insistently against hers, and a soft, masculine sound of desire hummed in his throat. 

 

This was getting hot, fast.  Cissnei predicted where it would lead if she didn't put a stop to it...especially when the hand stroking her arm settled on her ribcage and rubbed against the outer swell of her breast.  With impressive self-control for a woman who wanted something this badly, she withdrew from Zack's drugging kisses and bit her lower lip.  She did not, however, remove her hand from beneath his robe.  She would leave it up to him, she decided.

 

"Maybe...we should stop."  Her gaze went to his chest, partially bared through the open V of his robe.  He had a _really_ nice chest.  She wanted to kiss it, and she blushed with both passion and embarrassment over her lust for him.

 

Zack's hands stilled and he watched her with intense, Mako-bright eyes. His arousal seemed to make the glow more pronounced.  "Sorry.  I guess I pushed it too far.  You're just so damned pretty and you felt so good...ah, I'll shut up now."

 

It occurred to her then that not only was Zack Fair hot; he was also a gentleman.  She nearly groaned.  Great.  Of all the SOLDIER operatives for her to come on to, she had to pick the one that wouldn't even argue with a girl when she expressed uncertainty.  Apparently, he didn't get the subtle invitation of her hand still resting just above his knee.  So much for leaving it up to him to take this further. 

 

"I was just testing you," she sighed, smiling in spite of herself.  She kissed him again, briefly, before drawing back enough to speak against his lips.  "I don't really want to stop."

 

"Oh."  He kissed her back, his dark brows furrowing over his puzzled eyes.  "Then why'd you—"

 

"Never mind," she interrupted, guessing she'd just make city girls look like players, if she tried to explain her attempts to manipulate him.  If Zack wanted honesty, then that was what she'd give him.  "I want you."

 

"I don't understand," he muttered between kisses.  "Are you...sure about this?"

 

Cissnei answered that question by sliding her hand further up his thigh, and he jumped a little when she brushed her fingers against his swelling arousal.  She smiled against his lips and she retreated, mindful not to rush it too much and spook him.  The confidence behind his touch and kisses suggested he had some experience, but he was still a country boy and he probably wasn't used to aggressive girls. 

 

"I wouldn't still be on this bed, if I wasn't sure," she murmured reassuringly, guessing he might need more than a little touch to get the message. 

 

She stopped talking then, and she kissed him passionately to quell any further questions.  His tongue again lanced into her mouth and she sucked on it invitingly, her heart pounding with excitement and a bit of anxiety.  One of his hands grazed the swell of her breast again, while the other relocated from around her waist to her bare leg, caressing up and down the length of her thigh.  She brushed a damp, hanging lock of black hair out of his face with her free hand, before tracing the fine bone structure of his face and jaw.  While she worked her way down to his neck and chest with that hand, the other teasingly rubbed his inner thigh beneath the robe, parting the material further.  She spared a glance down and she resisted the urge to touch the tent that had formed in the crotch of his robe.

 

"Cissnei," he murmured huskily, urging her onto her back. 

 

When she complied, he braced himself on one elbow and his lips traveled from her mouth to her neck.  The hand that had been teasingly stroking the swell of her breast slid down over her side, to her hip.  He caressed her outer thigh as he kissed her throat and clavicle.  His fingers slipped under the nylon material of her bikini bottoms to trace the line of her pelvis, and she bit her lip with anticipation.  She began to untie his robe, anxious to see the rest of that powerful, honed body of his.  She sighed his name and turned her head to the side, arching her neck encouragingly as she enjoyed the feel of his mouth and tongue there.  He found that spot beneath her jaw that tended to make her tingle all over, and she moaned inadvertently as he pressed soft kisses there.  His hand retreated from her bikini bottoms and she almost pouted with frustration.

 

"Tease," she accused anyway, bending her right leg to rub the inside of it against his side. 

 

Zack grinned against her neck.  "Oh, so it's okay for _you_ to do it, but if I do, I'm the bad guy?"

 

Cissnei bit back a chuckle, realizing she'd done the same thing to him just moments ago.  "Point taken." 

 

He kissed her again, seemingly satisfied.  His hand slid up, over her ribcage to the swell of her breast again.  She squirmed fitfully and she gripped the parted material of his robe as he cupped her breast and brushed his thumb over the nipple through her top.  It pebbled immediately and she sighed at the tingling pleasure of his touch.  His kiss grew more aggressive as he rubbed it in little circles for a moment, before rolling onto his side and coaxing her to do the same.  She finally got his belt undone and she pulled his robe open in the same moment that he began to try and unfasten her top.

 

"How does this thing work?" he muttered in frustration as he searched the back of the garment for ties or fastenings.

 

"It's a pull-on," she advised with a little laugh.  She rolled him onto his back, straddled him, and then obligingly lifted the bikini top off.  She impulsively crossed her arms over her bare chest, suddenly shy.  She was a petite woman, and she wasn't endowed as nicely as some others. 

 

Zack gently eased her hands away and he stroked her ribcage as he gazed up at her, his eyes taking in _all_ of her before lingering on her firm, perky breasts.  His hands moved upwards and he shifted beneath her as he cupped the twin mounds in his battle-roughened palms, fondling them appreciatively.  Cissnei raised her eyes to look into his, and she relaxed at the open desire in them.  Her slight body-image anxiety faded and she bent over to kiss him as she worked on parting his robe the rest of the way.  He gently tweaked her nipples and she moaned softly against his lips, her loins throbbing in reaction to the stimulation.  He caressed the whole of her breasts then, his calloused palms chafing lightly against the hardened nipples.  She found that to her liking, and she pressed into his touch as she pulled his robe open.

 

When she had him bared to view, Cissnei straightened back up so that she could have a good look at him.  Zack's erection was resting intimately against the apex between her thighs, naked, flushed and swollen with arousal.  The head of it was facing up at her as the thick length of the shaft pressed against her pubic bone.  For some reason, she thought the velvety, glistening tip was cute and by some bizarre impulse, she waved at it in greeting. 

 

"Oh, hello there.  Nice to meet you."

 

 Zack's hands went still on her breasts for a moment, and he started to laugh.  "Do…do you want me to make it wave back?"

 

Intrigued, Cissnei took her eyes off of the fascinating organ and she smiled at its owner.  "Can you?  I mean, without using your hands?"

 

"Hmm, let's see." 

 

Zack poked the tip of his tongue out the corner of his mouth and concentrated, while Cissnei held back laughter and watched curiously.  Her eyes widened with delight as his penis obligingly moved a little, lifting away from her pelvis briefly as he worked his muscles down there.  Zack grunted with effort and he sighed, grinning up at her almost sheepishly as he stopped.

 

"That was harder than it looked," he informed her, "but I figure you're worth the effort."

 

Endeared and emboldened by the odd way he'd tried to entertain her, she gripped the warm, stiffened length of his erection and she gyrated subtly on top of him, rubbing against the sack beneath it.  "And I appreciate the effort.  That was…sweet."

 

Zack briefly closed his eyes and he made a purring sound in his throat.  "Mmm, feels good."  He lifted his hips a little, pushing into her touch as she began to stroke him.  His hands became animated again and he took care to tease her nipples as he gently squeezed and rubbed her breasts.  "I like these," he informed her un-necessarily.

 

"I can tell," she sighed, smiling.

 

"You don't mind, do you?"  He opened his eyes and looked up at her, his expression sobering despite the pleasure he was in.  "I'm not like…irritating them or anything?"

 

She shook her head, and she began to do a bit of chest exploration of her own with her free hand.  "No, you're being very gentle.  It's nice."

 

"Good.  I know girls don't like it when you squeeze too much or chafe them.  Boobies are great."  He suddenly flushed and grimaced.  "I mean, I love your breasts…uh…sorry, I'm going off into doofus land.  I'll shut up."

 

Cissnei laughed softly, charmed by his boyish embarrassment at his own words.  "It's okay, Zack."  She bent over to kiss him on the mouth.  "I'd rather have a doofus than a jerk, anyday.  At least you care about my pleasure."

 

He looked at her again, and his handsome face bore an utterly sincere expression.  "I'd have to be a jerk not to.  You deserve all the pleasure I can give you, pretty thing."

 

He suddenly heaved, lifting her off of him and rolling her beneath him.  "In fact," he said as she impulsively resisted his maneuver, "I'm going to make sure I do that before we go any further."

 

Cissnei stopped fighting against his positioning of her, and she released his erection to lay both hands on the hard, smooth expanse of his chest.  "What did you have in mind?"

 

God, he was hot.  He had that intensity in his gorgeous eyes again, and she admired the way his straight, black brows accented the shape of them.  His hair was drying and it had a tumbled, semi-spiked look to it, thanks to being trained to the spiked style he normally wore it in.  He looked a little wild and dangerous, like a wolf.  The sexy grin he gave her served to amplify that impression. 

 

"You'll see.  Just relax." 

 

With that said, he started kissing her again.  His powerful body weighed her down delightfully as he pressed a thigh between her legs and settled on top of her.  He was careful not to put his full weight on her as he began to caress her body again, but he didn't treat her as a fragile thing.  Cissnei returned his touch with enthusiasm, loving the feel of his muscles flexing and relaxing beneath her hands as she familiarized herself with his tanned, masculine form.  She appreciated the fact that he wasn't hairy, despite the amount of hair on his head.  His chest and torso were smooth, save for the treasure trail leading from his navel to the bed of crisp, dark hair framing his groin. 

 

She gasped and moaned his name when he moved down and took her right nipple between his lips.  She felt a flash of concern when his teeth pinched the bud, but he didn't bite it.  He flicked his tongue against it and she arched beneath him, combing her fingers through his drying hair.  He kept himself propped on one elbow as he pleasured her, and his other hand migrated down.  The rough fingertips lingered near her belly-button, tracing it in a loving manner before sliding down further.  Unable to reach his erection now to fondle it, Cissnei contented herself with rubbing his back and fondling his nipples in return, drawing soft groans of desire from him.

 

His fingers slipped beneath the material of her bikini bottoms again, and she parted her thighs further and trembled as they sought out the folds of flesh there.  She half expected him to immediately try to enter her with one of them, and she tried to relax for it.  Instead, he began to stroke her in a seeking manner, testing for moisture and searching for something.  It took a few moments, but his efforts soon paid off.  She smiled in delight when the pad of one finger located her clit and began to rub it in gentle circles.  She combed her fingers through his hair with one hand and continued caressing his chest with the others, tilting her head back as he switched his mouth to her other breast.  His hand moved under her bikini bottoms as he strummed her clit and stroked her labia, and he released her nipple to swirl his tongue around it, before closing his lips around it again. 

 

He was good, and she vaguely wondered how many other girls he'd practiced on to get that way.  Zack seemed so wholesome, even when he was being flirty.  Frankly, Cissnei was more grateful that he had experience than worried about it.  She'd rather be with someone that knew what he was doing than some guy that thought some clumsy pawing and groping would get the job done.  Besides, ShinRa had strict requirements on monthly physicals, and that included testing for STD's as well as other forms of diseases and illnesses.  She was on birth control too, so even if he didn't have protection with him, it would still be safe. 

 

It didn't take long for his ministrations to get her wet enough, and she clutched at his shoulders and gasped as he eased a finger into her.  Zack lifted his head to look at her with slight concern.  "Hurt?"

 

She shook her head.  "N-no." 

 

She rotated her hips, trying to encourage him to keep going.  He got the message and he kissed her softly between her breasts as he finished pushing the digit all the way in.  His thumb continued to press and rub her clit as he started fingering her, and Cissnei shut her eyes again and moved with his strokes, consciously relaxing for him.  When he started to squirm his way down her body, it occurred to the Turk that she could be in for another treat.  She looked down the length of her nearly-naked body, watching the dark head go lower and lower.  When his teeth caught her bikini bottoms and tugged them down, she grinned. 

 

"What are you going to do down there?"

 

He stopped tugging the material down over her hips, and he winked at her.  "Guess."

 

"I'm afraid of guessing wrong," she confessed, hoping he wasn't just teasing her.

 

Zack sighed dramatically.  "Then I guess I'll just have to show you, and you can tell me if you guessed right." 

 

He withdrew his fingers from inside of her to remove her last article of clothing. Cissnei lifted her hips off the mattress to assist him as he pulled her bottoms off.  He dropped them carelessly on the floor before stroking her thighs with his hands and positioning himself between them.  He pushed them apart and she bit her lip and curled her fingers over the sheets as she felt both of his thumbs press against her flesh, on either side of the swollen nub of her clit, exposing it more for his purposes.  She gasped when he licked almost delicately at it, teasing and testing at the same time.  He traced the folds surrounding it with the tip of his tongue, before licking it again.  Cissnei's eyes fluttered shut and her thighs tensed involuntarily at the flash of sensation it caused.  He started to lick it more thoroughly, stroking the sensitive hood with the surface of his tongue, back and forth, up and down and around. 

 

"Za…ack," she whimpered, finding the erotic massage both pleasing and frustrating at once.  "Oh!" 

 

She jumped a little when his lips closed around the taut little nub and sucked it gently.  She couldn't help but squirm a little, and she stroked his hair encouragingly to show him she was enjoying it.  She shuddered when his tongue pressed against the hood again, and he began to do that in a rhythmic pattern; licking and pressing with smooth strokes as he nursed it with his lips. 

 

"Unh…Zack…" This was quickly turning into an encounter she was sure she'd remember for the rest of her life, and she knew communication was the best way to make sure of that.  He'd found the right method, and she made sure to let him know.  "Don't stop…that feels so good…"

 

He made another one of those masculine sounds of satisfaction in his throat, and he obliged her.  She moaned as he slipped a finger smoothly into her body again, followed by a second one.  He began to thrust them as he pleasured her, his fingers scissoring and curling inside of her as they moved.  Cissnei struggled to keep her voice down, panting heavily as his actions drove her into carnal bliss.  He didn't relinquish until her back arched and she clenched rhythmically around his invading fingers, and even then he didn't stop until her orgasm faded to leave her a shuddering wreck on the bed.

 

"Don't…look at me right now," she gasped when he stretched out beside her and planted soft, loving kisses on her jaw and her flushed cheek.

 

"Why not?"  He grinned.  "You look gorgeous, all blushing and happy, like that.  Makes me feel good."

 

She couldn't contain her goofy smile as she looked up at him.  "But I'm a mess."

 

"A sexy mess."  He kissed her lips, and she could taste herself on them.  "God, I loved doing that to you."

 

"Well, you…were very good…at it," she praised, weakly slapping a palm against his chest.  "My heart is…still pounding!"

 

Zack laid a hand over her chest, just beneath her left breast.  He nodded, grinning.  "Yup, it's going pretty fast.  Did I wear you out?"

 

Cissnei smirked up at him.  "Not a chance."  Despite the pleasant fatigue of the afterglow, she maneuvered herself deftly and rolled him onto his back, straddling his hips.  "I'm a Turk.  We don't _get_ worn out."

 

"Yeah?"  Zack cupped her breasts and massaged them for a moment, before sliding his hands down to rest on her hips.  "Can we test that?"

 

More than ready to receive him, Cissnei lifted up a little.  She grasped his cock and gave it a stroke, smiling as he clenched his teeth on a groan.  He probably wouldn't last much longer, if she started teasing him.  "I hear SOLDIER operatives have some amazing stamina.  Think you can keep up with me, Zack?"

 

"Only one way to find out."  He rubbed her outer thighs.

 

She considered stroking or sucking him off, but she really wanted to feel him inside of her.  She could satisfy those other desires later, if he was as virile as she suspected.  She held his shaft steady as she positioned the head of his sex at her entrance, and she sank down on it with a soft little moan.  Rather than thrust into her, Zack had the courtesy to be still and let her take him at her own pace.  He caressed her bottom, her thighs and her hips as she eased onto him, and his eyes shut with pleasure. 

 

Confident that she was ready to start moving, Cissnei braced her hands on his chest and she began to undulate—gingerly at first, while she adjusted.  Zack opened his eyes and looked up at her again, his lips parting to emit soft groans of pleasure as she started riding him.

 

"Tell me when I can move without hurting you, baby," he urged, his face flushing with increasing excitement.

 

She could see how much he was holding back, and it occurred to her that with his SOLDIER strength, Zack could easily hurt her with too much vigor…maybe even to the point of putting her in the hospital.  Anyone that tried to claim Zack Fair lacked discipline was dead wrong about that.  Cissnei could appreciate how much self-control it must take, for him to lie there passively beneath her and give complete control of the encounter over to her.  The way his eyes flashed as she rocked on top of him was proof of how much he was struggling.  He started to thrust impulsively and he stopped himself immediately, a pained moan breaking free.

 

Cissnei put her hands over the bigger ones cupping her hips, rubbing them soothingly.  "It's okay, Zack.  You can move.  I won't break."

 

He seemed uncertain.  "You sure you're ready?  I…don't wanna hurt you."

 

She smiled at him, loving the feel of his hardness deep inside of her.  "I'm sure.  I know you won't hurt me, Zack.  Go for it."

 

He immediately started to flex his ass, lifting off the mattress to plunge into her as she came back down.  "Thank Gaia for that," he panted.

 

She would have laughed at the reply, but she gasped instead as he started to pump enthusiastically beneath her.  His hands guided the motions of her hips and he lifted her, allowing his length to slide out almost to the tip, before bringing her back down firmly.  Cissnei braced her hands on his chest again and she just went with it, knowing he'd stop immediately if she asked him to or expressed pain.  It hurt to an extent, but it was the good kind of hurt that came with a good lay.  He'd already taken care of her needs and now she was more than happy to take care of his. 

 

Zack struggled into a sitting position, his robe still half on and tangling beneath him.  He put his arms around the Turk's slender torso and he held her tight as she bounced on top of him.  He moaned against her chest, his breath hot against her breast.  Cissnei stroked his hair and bowed her head, matching his moans of pleasure with her own.  He tilted his head back to look at her and she kissed him hotly, eagerly.  Zack's hands cupped her ass and squeezed it, his breath catching unevenly against her lips.  He growled her name and he gave two hard thrusts that had her crying out.  By now, he was too far-gone to worry if it was a sound of pain, and he shuddered as he came inside of her.

 

His wits evidently came back to him as his spunk bled out, because he gasped a concerned inquiry as soon as he recovered.  "Did I…hurt you…at the end?"

 

"No," Cissnei assured—though that wasn't entirely true.  It had hurt a bit, but not enough to worry about.  She kissed the crown of his head and rubbed his back.  "I'm fine.  Thank you, Zack."

 

He lifted his head off her chest and looked at her with puzzlement, still breathing heavily from the encounter.  "For what?"

 

She wasn't about to tell him she was thanking him for remembering her name throughout the encounter, so she shrugged and said the first thing that came to mind.  "For making this a night I won't forget."

 

He gave her another wolf's grin.  "I should be the one…thanking _you_."

 

Cissnei smiled and kissed him.

 

~***********************************~

* * *

 

The next morning, Cissnei helped herself to Zack's shower and gingerly bathed her body.  A part of her wanted to put it off and allow his scent to linger for as long as she could, but she had work to do and untidiness was one of Tseng's pet peeves.  She also didn't want to linger in his bed for too long, preferring to leave before he woke up.  They'd worn each other out last night, doing it every which way until they were both too spent for more.  She smiled to herself as she took one of the complimentary bathrobes hanging on the wall and draped it around her body.  She was sooo sore, but in all the right places.  She frowned when she spotted the hickey on her neck in the mirror, and she sighed.

 

"Boys," she whispered. 

 

That was the one complaint she had about Zack's performance.  She supposed it was a territorial thing for them, to mark their partners this way.  She shrugged.  She could sip a healing potion to make the ugly bruise go away and ease her aches and pains, once she got back to her own room.  Her biggest challenge would be sneaking out the door and down the corridor before Zack woke up, without anyone seeing her.  She was confident she could do so, as heavily as he was sleeping and as early as it was.  The sun hadn't even crested the horizon, yet. 

 

She gathered her bathing suit and vacated the little bathroom, intending to sneak through the room and out the door without disturbing her slumbering companion.  She paused as she started to tip-toe past his bed and she watched him for a moment, admiring how peaceful and cute he looked, with his face relaxed in sleep.  The little criss-crossed scar on his jaw was a harsh reminder of why he was in Costa Del Sol begin with, and she sighed with regret.  If she could change what happened for him, she would. 

 

He mumbled in his sleep and turned over, prompting her to get moving again.  Cissnei caught sight of the pile of clothes lying forgotten on the floor by the bed.  They must have gotten kicked off during their activities, along with Zack's robes.  She saw the underwear crowning the pile and she raised her eyebrows.

 

"Huh…she was right," she mumbled.

 

"Mrrm?"  Zack stirred, his sharp ears picking up on the low comment.  "Whassup?" 

 

Cissnei cringed, cursing herself.  She looked at him guiltily as he sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes.  He looked at her with a dopey, half-asleep expression, and he covered his mouth on a yawn.  "What time is it?"

 

She glanced at the clock on the bedside table.  "A little past five.  Go back to sleep, Zack.  Everything's okay."

 

"Where are you going?"  He frowned, blinking in the dim light.  They had never turned the lamp off.  "You don't have to take off, you know.  We can cuddle.  I like to cuddle, in fact."

 

She smiled at him in spite of herself.  "That's really sweet, but I can't.  I should get back to my own room before people start waking up.  We don't need rumors to start."

 

"What, Turks aren't allowed to date?"  Zack smirked at her, and he patted the bed invitingly.  "Come on, nobody's going to flip.  It's not like I'm a civilian you've got to hide your career from."

 

Cissnei blinked at him.  Was he talking about _dating_ her?  "I know that, but I'm here to watch you, not date you."

 

"Ah- _ha_!"  Zack pointed at her in triumph.  "I _knew_ it!"

 

She sighed.  "Okay, fine…but it won't look good on my record if I'm seen leaving your room."  Hating herself for bringing the subject up, she reminded him of another girl he had his eye on.  "Besides…what about Aerith?"

 

His expression fell, and she caught a glimpse of guilt in his blue-violet eyes.  "Uh…Aerith?"

 

"The Ancient," pressed Cissnei, "the one who's always leaving messages on your phone.  You like her, don't you?  I thought you wanted to date her."

 

For a moment, he looked hopelessly confused, and her heart went out to him as he scratched his head and grimaced.  "Well, yeah…I do, but I like _you_ too…especially after last night."  His gaze lingered on her, his inner struggle apparent.  "Aerith is sweet, and pretty, and I like her a lot…but I hardly ever get to see her.  I keep getting caught up in missions and I can never give her the details.  I just have to keep giving her lame excuses.  With you—"

 

Cissnei approached and sat down on the bed, reaching out to place her fingers in his lips to shush him.  "I know; with me, you can just say you're on a mission and I'll understand.  We might even work together, sometimes.  Still, I’m not dating material, Zack.  Aerith is the kind of girl you bring home to meet your parents, not me."

 

"What kind of talk is that?" he demanded.  "Of _course_ you're the kind of girl I'd bring home to meet my folks!  You're—"

 

"A Turk," she interrupted pointedly.  "A killer.  A saboteur.  No matter what I'm like off the clock, I'm always going to be part of the organization.  Turks don't retire to raise families in the suburbs, Zack.  This life stays with us, forever."

 

He stared at her helplessly, looking like he wanted to offer some argument but couldn't think one up.  Cissnei swallowed the lump in her throat and she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.  "I'm always going to remember last night."  She took his right hand and placed it over her chest.  "I'll keep it in my heart, safely locked away.  I can't be with you, though…not the way you want."

 

He took a slow, deep breath and he nodded.  "This sucks.  I guess I got the wrong idea."

 

"I'm sorry."  She looked away and released his hand.  "You must think I’m a slut."

 

He shook his head and cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him.  "If you're a slut, that makes me one, too.  You're not, though.  You're just an amazing girl—I mean _woman_ —who gave me a night I'll never forget."

 

She started to tear up, and she hated herself for it.  "Thanks."  She hastily wiped her eyes.  "I'd better get going."

 

Zack hugged her before she could go.  "Just so you know," he murmured into her ear, "that's a standing offer.  If you think you might want to give dating a try, you've got my number."

 

"I'll keep that in mind," she promised, hugging him back.

 

~******************************~

* * *

 

Cissnei didn't trust herself to stay there for the rest of Zack's vacation, without giving in and sleeping with him again.  She'd already confused things by doing it the one time, so she put in a request with Tseng to return to her normal duties in Midgar.  She suspected he knew something had happened between her and Zack, but he didn't say anything about it.  He granted her request and sent her back home, where she met up with her partner at the airport.

 

"So, you're back early," observed Elena as they walked together, the wind blowing their hair to the side.  "I guess that means things didn't go that well after all, huh?"

 

"Oh, they did," sighed Cissnei, recalling the feel of his lips and hands on her body.  "They went _too_ well."

 

"Then what the hell are you doing here, instead of there?" demanded Elena.  "What happened?"

 

Cissnei shrugged.  "I don't want to get into it, right now.  Maybe I'll tell you after I've got my head sorted out again."

 

The blonde raised a brow at her.  "It requires head sorting?  Wow…this must be pretty juicy.  I won't push you, though."

 

"Thanks."  Cissnei meant it, too.  Sometimes, Elena could be very good at detecting when she just needed some peace and quiet.  "Oh, by the way…he wears boxer-briefs."

 

Elena stopped in her tracks.  "Oh?"

 

Cissnei nodded and kept walking.  "You didn't hear that from me."

 

~*******************************~

* * *

 

-The End 


End file.
